If You Only Had a Heart
by kissables333
Summary: As their Hogwarts years passed, she sometimes doubted their friendship and him. But she always believed in him and in their friendship. That is, until their sixth year when it all fell apart. It was at the apex of their relationship that he let her down.
1. Prologue

New story. Because I am insane. Its short.....I know! Sorry!

* * *

She thought she understood the two sides. She never thought the house rivalry had any real merit. In a Hufflepuff, she saw a hard-worker rather than a dull peer. In a Ravenclaw, she saw intelligence rather than a know-it-all peer. In a fellow Gryffindor she saw loyalty rather than a busybody. And in a Slytherin, in him, she didn't see evil; she saw cunning, in a positive light. She thought the Houses didn't mean much. She didn't think that just because someone was a Slytherin that they would automatically be cruel and evil. She never saw that in him, not at first. She never thought the Houses would come between them. She was wrong. She was foolish.

Trusting him had been her first mistake. Falling for him was her second. She can't shake the feeling or the sight of him. He is burned into her mind, destined to remain there forever.

Their friendship was a rocky one, right up until the end. Sometimes, he was gentle, others he was harsh. She always found a way to look past what he did. She always forgave him. She was a fool.

_"We're finally going to Hogwarts Draco." They were young._

_"Yes," he nodded. They sat alone in a compartment toward the end of the train. She could feel the vibrations from the train's moment beneath her. She was excited. Finally, she would get to go to Hogwarts. The best part was that she would get to see Draco every day._

_"Nothing will change, right?" she asked. She already knew the answer. She knew him._

_"Of course," he replied, flashing her his political smile, that one that always told her he was lying._

_In return, she flashed him a half-hearted smile that she knew didn't reach her eyes. He noticed, as he always did._

_"I'm going to be a Slytherin and you'll be a __**Gryffindor**__…." He all but snarled the word, "Once we're sorted, we can't…we cannot associate any longer," he said, placing his pale hand, which was surprisingly warm, over hers._

_Just because she knew it was coming, it didn't mean that she wasn't hurt by it anyway. She yanked her hand away quickly. "You and your bloody reputation. Its all about appearances with you, isn't it?" She stood up forcefully and pulled her trunk down from the rack. "I swear Draco, if you only had a heart…"_

_And that was that. She left, slamming the compartment door behind her. In eleven years, she had never once finished that thought and every time she has walked away, he has never come after her._

_She ventured upon a compartment with two boys who looked her age inside._

_"Mind if I sit here?"_

_She and the boys, who were Ron Weasley and Harry Potter (yes, __**the**__ Harry Potter), were in the middle of a conversation about Quidditch when the door to their compartment slid open._

"_The rumor on the train is that Harry Potter is coming to Hogwarts." Rolling her eyes, she recognized the voice before she even moved my glance to the figure standing in the doorway._

_Draco took a few steps into the compartment. "Name's Draco Malfoy. Hogwarts has no discretion on who's let in. Wouldn't want to assort with the wrong sort. I can help you sort them out." He proposed with a condescending smirk as he stuck out his hand for Harry._

_But Harry replied with a negative, affirming that he didn't need his help before turning back to Ron to restart their conversation._

"_Malfoy, Draco!" Professor McGonagall shouted out._

_Her childhood friend strutted up to the stool and sat down. The hat was barely placed over his head before it shouted out, "SLYTHERIN!"_

_He was pleased._

_A few peers later and she was called up._

"_Sparks, Emmeline!"_

_She sat, shaking, upon the stool. She felt the hat being placed upon her head._

_And then it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"_

She could say that their sorting was the beginning of it all, that it was the beginning of the chasm between them that steadily grew larger throughout their school years. But that wasn't right. They had both been nurtured in completely different homes and in different ways.

In their first year, her belief in her best friend was the strongest. He made mistakes of course but it was in his nature to taunt and mock. She knew what his father was like. She knew what Draco was like and she managed to reconcile, or rather ignore, the things he did with the boy she knew he was.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione couldn't understand why she was friends with him. As their Hogwarts years passed, she sometimes doubted their friendship and she doubted him. But she always returned to him and their friendship. Emmeline always returned to the comfort of his presence. That is, until their sixth year when it all fell apart. She believed in their friendship and it was at the apex of their relationship that he let her down.


	2. Second Year

She only heard three words come out of his mouth before chaos erupted.

Three words before the Slytherins around him laughed.

Three words before Hermione's shoulders shrugged in hurt.

Three words before Ron pulled out his wand to hex him, only to be blown back.

As slugs began pouring out of Ron's mouth and Harry and Hermione had to help their friend, Emmeline could only stare at her friend in shock.

And he only looked at her as if to say, 'What did you expect from me?' Emmeline knew she should've expected it from him. She should have expected him to call Hermione a "filthy little mudblood," but that didn't stop her from hating him for it and hating herself for not fully expecting it.

"If you only had a heart, Draco…" she muttered just loud enough for him to hear before running after her friends.

"So I see you've come to visit me in the hospital." the boy smiled triumphantly.

"No, actually, I've come to see Harry."

The boy's smirk dropped just a bit. "He's asleep."

Emmeline rolled her eyes. "Why are you even still here? You're not hurt—"

"I'm very injured!" he complained loudly. "I was hurt—"

"And you're milking it for every ounce of attention you can get." she said with a little laugh.

"Just from you." he said smoothly.

"Liar." she said, knowing better.

"You think Potter's not glad for all of the attention he—"

"His parents are dead, Draco." she hissed into the quiet of the Hospital Wing, trying to not wake Harry.

"Well poor Potter. We should all grovel at his feet because he's a bloody orphan—"

"You think he choose for that to happen? You think he wants to be an orphan? I can't believe that you're so jealous of him—"

"What's there to be jealous of?" Draco insisted. "Friends like Weasley and _Granger_? Being a teacher's pet? Being—"

"He didn't ask for any of this!"

"Maybe, _Emmeline_, it's not me that's jealous of Potter, its you that's in love with him."

"I'm not in love with Harry. He's my best friend."

"I'm your best friend."

She laughed and she hoped the sound cut through him. "You really think that?"

"Well…of course. We have been since we were little and I'm not going to let Potter—"

"Does everything have to be a competition with you?"

"With Potter, ye—"

"I am not a game! My friendship is not something for the victor to have!"

"Emmy—"

"Draco, are we friends because you're competing with Harry? Because he isn't playing that game with you and I won't be apart of it!" she stomped to the door but stopped, "I hope you feel better."

She left him then. But she knew in a matter of days or maybe a week or two, she'd back, putting up with him.

Emmeline hated herself for her weak spine but she couldn't abandon her friend.

She dropped her books onto the library table and took the seat next to him.

"Well…?" she asked quietly when he showed no reaction to her presence.

"Well what?" he asked as he flipped a page in the book he was reading.

"Are you?" she asked, almost afraid of getting the answer that her friends were so convinced of.

"Am I what?" he asked again.

"Merlin, Draco! Stop playing around!"

He looked up at her briefly before returning his gaze to the book. "Am I what?" he repeated as he continued to flip through his book carelessly.

"The heir!" she hissed as she slammed her hand down on the pages of the book to make him look at her.

His eyes shot over to hers; he didn't bother to brush the strand of blonde hair that hung in his face out of the way.

"I'm not the heir." he said smoothly.

But Emmeline only looked at him, not sure if she believed him. It was one of the worst things she had ever experienced. She, for a burning, terrorizing moment, did not recognize her oldest friend.

"I'm not the heir." he said again because he could see it in her eyes—he was losing her. "I promise." If he had it in him, he would've smiled at her. He was satisfied, however, with the result those two words had given him.

She smiled at him so of course he had to wipe it away.

"You should've known I wasn't because, if I was, Granger would've been the first mudblood attacked. And I would have killed her." And to finish it off, he smirked at her.

And she, enraptured by her friend, could only roll her eyes and shake her head. She let out an incredulous little laugh and rested her forehead in her hand and shook her head. She questioned why she was friends with this boy.

"If you only had a heart, Draco." she promised.

Draco Malfoy would never know what would happen if he had a heart until it was too late to change anything.


	3. Third Year

"Stop it." she hissed as she pulled him away from their classmates.

He rolled his eyes as he pulled his arm out of her grasp. "Stop what, Emmy?"

"Stop teasing him."

Draco rolled his eyes again. "Potter can fight his own battles, Emmeline. He doesn't need you to do it for him."

"This isn't about him—"

"How can it not be?" the boy asked tauntingly, "You want me to stop talking about how he fainted like a baby in the face of the wittle dementors."

"This is about how heartless you can be." she hissed in return, "Dementors make you relive your worst memories. I think he has enough to torment him. He doesn't need you adding—"

"Yes, Potter really needs your help. He needs your compassion. Why don't you just snog already? Maybe that'll get your picture in the post."

Emmeline sighed and met his cold eyes. "You'll never understand." she swore before she turned her back on him and hurried to join up with the rest of their class—she filled the open spot next to Harry.

He was jealous. Emmeline could see it all over his face. He couldn't stand Harry having all of the attention. Emmeline knew he did stupid things when he was jealous.

Emmeline could not stop him; she knew that. Thus, she could only watch in abject horror as he rudely approached Buckbeak. As Draco fell to the ground after Buckbeak's attack, she was divided. Half of her worried for his health; the other half thought he got what he deserved.

Days after, she and the trio heard the news that Lucius Malfoy was going to try to get Buckbeak executed. Emmeline found Draco in the library.

"Well?" she asked as he stared up at her with his arm cradled in a sling.

"Well what?" he asked.

"Are you dying?" she asked poignantly.

"No." he shook his head, "That bloody bird nearly took my arm off—"

"Because you didn't listen to Hagrid."

"The bird is a menace!"

"No he isn't! You're just a git! You were jealous that Harry was getting attention so you wanted to do it too. And you failed so now you're embarrassed and you are lashing out to hurt whoever you can. You're going to get Hagrid sacked."

"That oaf shouldn't be a teacher. He was too stupid to even finish school—"

"Quit being a prat, Draco. They're trying to put Buckbeak to death."

"The stupid bird deserves it!"

"No, he doesn't."

Draco rolled his eyes at her. "Figures you would be so emotional about—"

"It's a life, Draco." she hissed. "And I don't know how you can be so cavalier about the fact that Buckbeak may die because you're a little jerk."

Draco looked at her and was surprised to find tears in her eyes.

"Emmeline—"

But she only shook her head at him and left.

"What if he's still in the castle?" she whispered.

Draco rolled his eyes at her—trying to appear braver than he felt. "The professors are searching the castle. They'll find him if he's here."

"I'm scared." she whispered.

Sirius Black had slashed the portrait guarding the Gryffindor common room.

"Don't be." The two of them were the only ones awake in the Great Hall. He took her hand in his. "Besides, I don't have to worry about anything. Black's probably after Potter."

She ripped her hand from his.

"You're horrible." she hissed before leaving him alone.

He came across her sitting outside, staring off at Hagrid's hut.

Her eyes were red.

"Does your face hurt?" she murmured as he sat down next to her.

"Stings a little." he muttered.

"Well…I guess that is worse than getting your head chopped off." she bit out sarcastically.

"Emmeline, it was just a bird—"

"No!" She propelled herself off the steps and stood before him. "It was a life! He was not just a bird. He was living and breathing! That doesn't even matter to you because you're just like your father!"

"What does that mean?"

"It means you're heartless and I still keep coming back to you! I'm still your friend even though my friends think I'm insane for trusting you!"

"Emmeline—"

"Tell me I'm not insane. Show me it's an act. Show me you're the same boy who I've known all my life!"

"Emmeline…" he trailed off as he stared at her unflinchingly.

"You…you can't, can you?" she sighed. He said nothing. Emmeline wiped the tears from her eyes and left him.


	4. Fourth Year

_Fourth Year_

She had lost everyone in the chaos.

Emmeline did not know where any of the Weasleys, Harry, or Hermione were.

The Death Eaters had descended upon the tents and set many of them aflame. Curses were flying, people were running and Emmeline was rushed through the paths in the forest, desperately searching for a familiar face.

Suddenly, someone grabbed a hold of her and pulled her deeper into the forest until they were hidden among the trees and shadows.

"No!" she screamed. "Let go of—"

"Emmeline!"

She froze at his familiar voice.

"Draco…" she breathed in relief. "I was…I…There are Death Eaters here." she murmured as she threw her arms around him and found safety in his embrace.

"I know." he murmured into her hair. "I know."

"What's going on? Why are they here? I thought—"

"I don't know, Emmy." he replied as he pulled away from her.

He was lying to her. She knew it and he knew she knew.

"I have to find Harry—"

She felt him tense at the mention of Harry's name.

"'Course you do." he replied and even in the dark, she still knew he rolled his eyes.

"Draco—"

"Come on." he said as he took her hand and began pulling her through the forest.

He led her quickly through the running people and would have continued if she had not stopped short.

"Draco…they're…they're…" she could not form the words. Instead, she pointed into the sky where a Muggle woman was being spin about in the air.

"Emmy, come on!" Draco said, pulling on her arm.

"No!" she tried to wrench her arm out of his grasp. "We have to help them!"

"The Aurors will do that—"

"No!"

"Damn it, Emmeline! We have to go. You have to find Scarhead—"

He needed her to leave with him. Draco couldn't let her have time to figure it out. She couldn't know…but it was too late. She had already seen.

"Draco…Draco…" she whispered. "That's your father." she murmured as she pointed toward of one of the masked men. She could see his long wisps of ice blonde hair.

Draco pulled Emmy to his chest and made her move forward with him.

"That was your father, Draco." she whispered again and again.

He said nothing.

Off in the distance, he heard the voice of Granger.

"That was your father." Emmy was still murmuring with wide eyes.

"I know, Emmy. Look, there are your friends." he murmured as he pushed her toward them lightly. "I'll see you at school, Emmeline." he threw over his shoulder before leaving her.

* * *

"Emmeline."

His voice was low and quiet in her ear but she only rolled her eyes.

"What do you want, Ferret Boy?"

He scowled at her, "Don't talk about that."

"You can't say you didn't deserve it, Draco."

"_Actually_, I can." He insisted superiorly.

Emmy rolled her eyes. "You were going to attack him when his back was turned. You deserved it!"

* * *

"Finch-Finchley? Really?" Draco whispered into her ear. "I half-expected Potter to walk in with you on his arm."

"Harry and I are just friends," Emmy said, sick of having to tell Draco that.

"He doesn't want to keep it that way."

"Stop it, Draco." she murmured as she pushed him away slightly. "You're acting like a child."

"Am I? I see how he looks at you—"

"He _doesn't _look at me in any way, Draco. And if I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous—"

"Of what? He can _have _you. What good are you to me—"

With her heart pulsating angrily, she slapped him across the face. "Go back to Pansy, Draco, and stop wasting your time with me." she hissed.

* * *

"Diggory was an idiot; he was a fool. His death was his own fault—"

"He was a _fool_? You're heartless, Draco. How was his _murder _his own fault?" she demanded incredulously. "How could it ever be construed as his fault?"

"He did not side with th—"

"And you have, haven't you?" Emmy questioned as she felt the tears well up in her eyes again. "You've given in to your _Master_. Well he's back now and he's already killed someone who did not deserve to die. I wonder how long it will take for his body count to soar," she hissed.

"Emmeline—"

"I will never side with Voldemort, Draco. Never. If you have, tell me now so I can walk away." she shook her head slowly. "I could never lo— I could never stand to see you if you have. Just tell me now, so we can stop wasting our time."

"Diggory des—"

"He didn't deserve to die, Draco. He chose what I would choose. What if it had been me? What if he had killed me? Would you be saying the same thing? Are you even capable about caring about anyone except for yourself?"

"Emmy—"

"Is he your…your Master, Draco? Please, just tell me."

"No, Emmeline. He isn't."

"Not yet." she realized. "But it's going to happen, isn't it?"


	5. Fifth Year

_Fifth Year_

With her head buried in her Potions book, she did not have time for distractions. When a shadow fell across the open pages of her book, she was not welcoming.

"Leave." she murmured, not bothering to spare him a glance.

"Emmy—"

"Honestly, Draco. I don't have time for whatever lies you want to tell me today."

"Emmeline, I just wanted to talk—"

"Draco." she glanced up to meet his eyes. "No." she shook her head, "I don't have time to waste today. I need to finish this essay before the library closes. It's getting close to curfew and I don't want to be—"

"You won't—"

"Draco," she sighed again, "Seriously. You need to understand that the world can't revolve around you and that not everyone has a rich father to get them out of everything."

"Emmeline, shut up for a moment." Draco snapped, incensed at her insinuation. "If you had stopped yapping for just a moment and given me the time of day, perhaps you would've noticed what I've been trying to show you."

Her eyes glanced down to see the shiny emblem on his robe. "You're a prefect." she muttered.

"Yes." he smirked proudly.

Unimpressed, she returned her gaze to her book, "How much did your father have to pay for you to get that?"

He said nothing but she knew he was glaring at her.

"Thought you would be happy for me."

She sighed and gave up on researching. "I'm happy for you, Draco. But I'm sure you'll let the power go to your already inflated head—"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he hissed, slamming himself down into the chair across from her. "What's your problem? You've been avoiding me since the year started. And you never responded to any of my letters over the summer!"

"You're starting to sound a bit needy, Draco." she hissed back.

"What's going on with you, Emmeline? Why didn't you write me back?" The blonde had the audacity to look a bit hurt.

Emmeline sighed and dropped her gaze to her hands. "I met a boy over the summer. I was busy."

Draco didn't answer her, causing her to chance a glanc; she found his unwavering gaze on her. "What?"

"You didn't write because you met a boy?" he scoffed. "Good to know you can forget me that quickly, Emmy." he bit out sarcastically with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh, come off it, Draco. You don't get to act hurt. Ever since you started _spending time_ with Pansy, you forget about me too." she rolled her eyes.

"Pansy doesn't mean anything." he said in a strained whisper as he tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "I still wrote you. But you couldn't find the time to—"

"He was a muggle."

"Who was?" he asked in confusion.

"The boy I was seeing."

Emmy watched as his face contorted with disgust.

"The look on your face is why I didn't tell you." she spat as she stood up from the table. "I knew you'd say something horrible about him without ever meeting him. And I_ knew _that whatever the hell you'd say would be enough for me to end things with him. And I hatethat. I _hate _how much control I give you. I can't let you have it anymore." With that she stormed away from him.

* * *

"She's a dictator, Draco!"

"She's the best thing that ever happened to this school and if you aren't careful, you're going to get reported to her for the things you've been saying!"

"You'd be the one to report me too, wouldn't you?" she snapped. "You'd love for the chance to get more power. You couldn't wait to hand me over to Umbridge and get a pat on the head for being a _good little soldier._"

"Shut up, Emmeline! Just because you're stupid enough to waste your time on the wrong side fighting for mudbloods and snogging muggles—"

"You never met him! You can't stand there, _Malfoy_, and act as if you're better than him!"

"Of course I can!" he shouted. "I'm not _acting _as if I'm better. I know I am!"

"Why? What makes you so great? The badge on your chest? Your last name? The money your father has in Gringotts?"

"The blood running through my veins! The fact that _I _can do magic. _I _can make people do whatever the bloody hell I want them to do!"

She looked up at him with wide eyes as she shook her head. "You are incapable of caring about anyone else, aren't you?"

"I—"

"You don't have a heart. You don't care about anyone else. You never will." she shook her head as she turned to walk away from him.

"That's not true, Emmeline. And you have to stop."

"Stop what?" she asked with rigid posture, her back to him.

"I know what you're doing. _She _knows. You have to stop. You're going to get caught—"

Emmeline turned to face him. "This is where you and I differ, Draco."

"What do you mean?" he asked with a shake of his head.

"You would put yourself ahead of everyone else. You put yourself ahead of a cause. But I can't. I believe in what I'm fighting for. That's not going to change."

* * *

"I told you to stop going to the meetings." he hissed in her ear as he pulled her along.

"Draco, stop." she whispered, trying to pull her hand out of his grasp.

"No. I don't think anyone saw you there. And none of your friends are going to give you up. You won't get in trouble—"

"I'm not going to run away!" she hissed as she made him stop. "I told you before, Draco! I'm not going to hide and pretend I don't stand for a cause."

"I'm trying to—" he stopped and sighed.

"What, Draco? What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to protect you from getting in trouble, Emmeline. If you're caught, you'll—"

"I'll get punished, but at least I'll have stood up from what I believe in. Umbridge needs to know that she doesn't have all the power at Hogwarts."

* * *

They were on the train ride home from yet another year. Except this time it was different. The air was heavy with the truth.

Voldemort had returned; no one knew what that meant for the wizarding world. There was a horrible terror in the air that no one wanted to acknowledge.

But in one particular compartment of the train there was silence. She could feel his gaze on her.

"Stop staring," she murmured without glancing over at him. "It's healed by now. I'm fine."

"If you had just listened to me you wouldn't have had words craved onto the back of your hand."

She merely shrugged. "I wasn't going to run away from punishment when everyone else was caught."

"You're foolish." he muttered.

Emmeline shrugged. "You just don't understand what it means to stand with your friends."

He ignored her comment and decided to pick at another scar in their friendship. "So are you going to see that muggle again this summer?"

"Are you going to see Pansy?" she quipped back.

"Probably." he smirked at her. "She can't seem to get enough of me."

Emmeline rolled her eyes. "That's because she likes your Gringotts vault and your last name, Draco."

"Don't forget my dashing looks too, Emmeline." he smirked.

"Ah, yes of course. How could I ever have forgotten?" she said sarcastically.

"I know, honestly, Emmeline. How could you have? My looks are what you fantasize about."

"That and your charming personality, Malfoy. His name is Ben, by the way."

"_Ben_." Draco sneered. "Sounds very Muggle." he said with disgust.

Emmy rolled her eyes, "I won't be seeing him this summer though. I'll be spending my time with Ron, Hermione and Harry."

"I think I'd rather you spend your time with _Ben _than Scarhead." Draco bit out, anger pooling in his veins.

"Good thing it isn't up to you." she replied archly.

"You talk about standing with your friends, but what about now? My father is in Azkaban because of him!" Draco hissed.

"No, Draco. Your father is in Azkaban because he is a Death Eater. He picked Voldemort. He deserves to be in jail."

"You don't understand, Emmeline."

"You're right. I don't. I never will. I especially don't understand why you want to be just like your father. Do you want to rot away in prison too?"

"You don't know what you're talking about, Emmeline!"

"Maybe, but at least I know that I'm on the right side."


	6. The End

_Sixth Year_

Another school year. Another year to be disappointed by Draco Malfoy. Day after day, she was met with the site of Pansy Parkinson sitting next to him, practically on his lap.

Emmeline was jealous; she knew it. Emmy had been infatuated with Draco for years, however reluctant she was to admit it. It was Draco that captivated her attention. Her friends knew it too, even though she would not admit it to them. Day after day, she was getting closer to the edge of falling for him; all she needed was a tiny push to send her flying.

* * *

"Did you miss Ben this summer?" he asked with a smirk on his face as he sat down across from her in the library as she flipped through a book.

"I'm surprised you remembered. Didn't think you usually paid attention to conversations that weren't about you." Before he had a chance to respond, Emmeline spoke again, desperate to wipe the smirk off his face, "But no, I didn't. I was too busy have a good time with Harry."

She smiled to herself as the smirk dropped off his face.

"Good to know you enjoy spending time with people below your station, Emmy." Draco recovered quickly.

"Same to you, Draco."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "And who is that, exactly?"

"Parkinson is hardly on your level, Malfoy. Though, I can't imagine you mind since she's always busy _stroking _your ego." Emmeline stood up to place the book back on the shelf. As Draco gathered a response, she gathered her bag to leave.

He grabbed her hand as she passed him by. "You sound jealous." he whispered as he stared into her eyes.

Looking into his clear grey eyes, she decided to be honest. "I am."

Not needing any more encouragement, he pulled her to him and kissed her as he had wanted to do for such a long time.

She dropped her bag and wrapped her arms around his neck. She was falling now as their lips met and clashed together again and again. Pulling around for just a moment, he told her he knew a place they could go to be alone. Hardly wanting to waste time talking, she kissed him again as her heart thumped.

Loving Draco Malfoy would kill her, she was sure of it.

* * *

The sunlight streaming through the windows woke her gently. The silky black sheets that covered her naked form were not hers. And she was not alone. His warm arm lay over her waist and anchored firmly against him. Almost protectively.

Memories from the night before came flooding into her mind. A flush ran across her face.

"I love it when you blush," he murmured quietly, placing a kiss on the nape of her neck, sending chills down her spine. It had been months since their first kiss in the library and things had only escalated—escalated to the point that she found herself clothes-less in bed with an equally naked Draco Malfoy.

"Hi." she whispered, flipping so that they were face to face.

"Hey," he smirked. He reached out with his left arm and tucked a curl behind her ear.

"Last night was—" her eyes widened in shock as her glance ran across his forearm. "Oh my god." she said faintly, barely able to think coherently as she stumbled to get out of bed as soon as possible. He knew instantly what she had seen and cursed himself in his mind. He was so incredibly stupid.

"Emmy, calm down—" he said as he sat up in bed with the sheet around his waist.

"Stop! Don't come near me!" she hissed with a trembling voice as she slipped into her uniform. Draco rushed to do the same thing so that he could stop her from running away.

Without a word, she advanced quickly toward the door only to be stopped as he pulled her back into him.

"Let me go!" she screamed

"Em, wait—" he didn't know what to tell her to make her stay.

"I can't believe I trusted you! How could I be so _stupid_?" she said as she wrenched out of his grip and moved toward the door.

"Calm down! I can explain—" he insisted as he pulled her to him again tightly.

"The Dark Mark is burned onto your arm; what is there to explain?" she hissed as she pushed and shoved against him, trying to get away.

"Let me try, Emmeline." he insisted, growing more nervous when she refused to listen. He couldn't lose her.

"No!" Growing tired of her thrashing, he pushed her hard and held her up against the nearest wall to slow her movement.

Each warm hand held a wrist tightly against the brick and his body pressed close against her to make her stay. She tried twice to move but found she could not. Emmeline relaxed in his grip but still trembled with anger and pain.

"I didn't have a choice." he swore into her ear. His warm breath caused a shiver to run down her spine. His scent was overpowering her senses as it had last night but she had to fight through to keep her head clear. She could not give in to him again. Not again.

"Yes, you did." she whimpered sadly, "You could've gone to Dumbledore—"

Draco shook his head, "He would have killed my mother."

"Dumbledore could've protected her!" Emmeline insisted, not comprehending how he could have betrayed her like this.

"Dumbledore can't do anything! It's too late—"

"Now it is!" she snapped as his warm grip felt like it was burning her skin. "Because you took his mark."

He tried to explain, "It was for—"

"Yourself! Because you wanted power! And you wanted influence! You wanted to be respected! But with _him_, you'll only be feared! He only picked you because your father messed up—"

"Shut up Emmy." he hissed. "You will never understand what it's like. I had no one to trust."

"You had people to turn to!" she felt like she was drowning. She had to get away from him.

"No I didn't—" he shook his head.

"You had me." she whispered, "And I would've done _anything_ to help you. They told me…from the beginning. I should've listened." Tears began to well up in her eyes as she realized the truth. Everyone was right about him from the start.

"Emmy, no—" She was slipping from him. She was sealing herself off from him; and he couldn't stop her.

"And all along I believed that you weren't like them. That you were more than your House. I thought you were better. I thought you knew that." she whispered.

"It's for protection—" he tried fruitlessly to explain but it was like his words did not ever phase her. She just kept speaking lowly—with wide eyes—as if she were in a trance.

"I wish you could've seen what you had." she whispered. "I wish you could've seen that you had people to turn to."

He shook his head and pleaded with her, "I didn't have anyone."

"You had me!" his hands slipped from her wrists as he leaned back to look at her. "I was damn near in love with you and I would've helped you. I would have done anything for you. I would've given up everything to help you. I could've stopped you from this if you had just trusted me but…but now it's too late."

"No, Emmy—"

"You were right." He did not like the apathetic tone to her voice. It was indifferent and showed none of her personality that endeared him to her day after day.

"About what?" he croaked out; his chest was throbbing at the thought of losing her—at the thought of always having been so close to having her and then losing her after finally getting her.

"First year." she shrugged, "You said we shouldn't be friends because you're a Slytherin and I'm a Gryffindor and that just doesn't work out. I never believed you. But I see it now."

He didn't want to be right. "No. Emmy—"

She slid away from him and would not look at him. "I thought I knew you. But you're just a stranger."

The door closed loudly behind her.

* * *

She found him in the common room.

"You were right." she murmured as she wiped a few traitorous tears off her face. He did not deserve them.

"Right about what?" he asked in confused as he dropped his parchment and quill to the side.

"Draco." she whispered as more tears fell from her eyes. "You were right. He's not…"

"Emmy, is he a Death Eater?" Harry asked, looking into her eyes.

She paused for a moment, trying to decide if she should tell the truth about him. "I…I don't know. I just…he's just like you said he is though. All along, you've been right about him. I just…I thought I knew him." she whispered sadly.

Harry wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder. Draco had betrayed her in a way she never thought he would. He was everything she never wanted to believe he was.

But she still couldn't bring herself to tell Harry the truth about him. She still protected him.

* * *

The months passed. Every time she saw him, she ran away. Emmeline could not face him. That night it had seemed like everything was perfect. She thought he cared. But she was wrong. She had been stupid enough to fall for him. And she had to deal with the consequences of that.

Which she did, by running away. Every time she glimpsed him in the corridors, class, or at meals, he looked pale and ill with dark bags under his eyes. Emmeline did not speak to him again. Not until that night on the grounds.

It didn't seem possible. Emmeline knew the mark was burned onto his arm, but she did not think he would do this. And yet, there he was. Standing before a defenseless and tired Dumbledore with his wand outstretched. He was going to kill him.

"Draco, you can't!" she screamed, frozen in place—paralyzed by the thought that he was about to become a murderer.

His head snapped in her direction at her voice. She hadn't spoken to him in months; the sound was nearly foreign to him.

"Emmy," his voice trembled, "You have to get out of here."

"W-what are you doing?" she asked with a quiver in her voice as she approached him.

The door to the battlement banged open as two Death Eaters burst through the door. One shot a spell at Emmy, forcing her to duck as Draco yelled her name.

The other, Snape, brushed past Draco to deliver the Killing Curse to Dumbledore. Meanwhile, Draco began to move toward Emmy, only to be pulled away from her by Snape before he could get to her.

* * *

_Seventh Year_

A year passed and had hardened every sense and feeling she had. It was war and feelings could not get in the way.

But now it was over and he was standing before her with memories and a mark on his arm as reminders of his deeds.

"What do you want from me?" she asked quietly. He had left his family in the Great Hall where the celebrating continued and pulled her away to the quiet of an empty corridor.

He only stared at her, as if he had thought he would never have a chance to see her again.

When he didn't speak, she took the opportunity to. "I trusted you. They told me you would only hurt me. Harry said—"

Draco was incensed, "Who cares what rubbish Potter said!" He was sick of her always listening to him.

"You're right." That cold indifferent was in her tone again, "I should only care about what you _do_."

'Emmy—" he certainly did not like where she was going.

"You stole Neville's Rememberall. You called Hermione a mudblood. You almost got Buckbeak executed. You were going to curse Harry when his back was turned. You were part of that god-awful Inquisitorial Squad. You lied to me, you took his mark. You slept with me and made me believe you were different, Draco." she hissed. "You were going to kill Dumbledore."

"Em—"

"You could've told me. We've been friends for years. And for years, I've thought of you as more than just a friend…but apparently, I'm not someone you could trust. I'm not someone you can turn to." she trembled as she realized what was going to become of them—she realized what was _inevitable_.

"Emmeline," he had to make her understand. He couldn't lose her. "My father had failed him. He….I was chosen and if I failed, he would've kill me and my mother. I couldn't go to Dumbledore, _he _would've known. And I couldn't tell you because then he'd kill you too and because…you'd never look at me the same way. I knew it'd make you look at you the way you are now. I…Emmeline, I didn't want to hurt you—"

"You can say whatever you want, Draco. It's not going to change the things you've done. I can't trust you. Never again. I won't let you hurt me."

"Emmeline, I'm in love with you." He pleaded desperately.

"No!" she shook her head as tears welled in her eyes, "_I _was in love with you. _I _was the one who cared in this relationship. Not you. You aren't capable of caring about anyone but yourself, Draco. I swear, if you just only had a heart…" she bit and shook her head. There was nothing else to say. She turned her back to him and started to walk away. Emmeline had to stop, however, at the sound of his voice.

"What does that mean? You've…you've been saying that to me my whole life and I don't understand." he asked pitifully.

She sighed heavily and let the breath leave her body as if cleansing herself of her memories with him. Emmeline turned and looked him in the eyes for last time. "It means that if you had a heart, if you cared about anyone or anything other than reputation or power or influence, I could have stayed. If you weren't heartless, I could have believed the words that just came out of your mouth.

"Maybe I could have seen past the mark on your arm. If I were to believe you when you say you love me, I'd be resigning myself to a life with someone who will only ever care about himself. I deserve more than that. If you had a heart, Draco, I would kiss you right now and I would want to marry you. I would want to spend the rest of my life with you. But you don't," she sighed deeply again, "So I can't."

She turned from him and left him alone in the cold, empty corridor.

Because he did not have a heart and he did not care about anyone except himself, he lost her.


End file.
